Mobile cotton harvester with cotton module building capability

ABSTRACT

A mobile, self-propelled cotton harvester having a cotton module building or packaging capability, having at least one harvesting unit; a compactor structure including a first surface or floor having a predetermined extent and other surfaces such as side walls and ends defining and substantially enclosing an interior space or module building chamber for receiving the harvested cotton; and apparatus for distributing and compacting the cotton evenly within the interior space or chamber, including a compacting element or frame located therein, the compacting element supporting at least one member for movement relative thereto for distributing the cotton substantially evenly between the compacting element and the first surface, and at least one driver supporting the compacting element spaced from the first surface operable for moving it between positions spaced different distances from the first surface and for forceably moving it toward the first surface from the positions, respectively, and against cotton distributed therebetween for simultaneously and evenly compacting the cotton to form the cotton module or package.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to mobile cotton harvesters,and, more particularly, to a mobile cotton harvester including on-boardapparatus for receiving, distributing and compacting the cottoncontinually as it is harvested, for building or forming a unitary cottonmodule or portion of a unitary cotton module which will be freestandingand capable of being handled and transported without breaking apart orrequiring further compaction.

BACKGROUND ART

Currently, cotton is typically harvested from plants by mobile cottonharvesters which include a relatively large basket for receiving andholding the harvested cotton. Many known cotton harvester basketsinclude apparatus for distributing and compacting the cotton therein tosome extent, primarily to increase the amount of cotton which can beheld in the basket.

Typical of such apparatus include a frame mounted in the upper region ofthe basket and carrying augers or other apparatus for distributing andcompacting the cotton. Reference in this regard Nickla U.S. Pat. No.3,412,532, issued Nov. 26, 1968 to International Harvester Company;Deutsch U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,940, issued Dec. 26, 1989 to Deere &Company; and Covington et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,932, issued Jul. 9,1996 to Case Corporation. For improved distribution of the cotton withinthe basket, it is also known to effect reversal of the rotationaldirection of the augers manually, or automatically using various devicesincluding pressure sensors, optical level sensors, and timers. Referencein this regard, the above-referenced Deutsch patent; Buehler et al. U.S.Pat. No. 5,584,762, issued Dec. 17, 1996 to Case Corporation; andRiesterer U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,779B1, issued Jan. 23, 2001 to Deere &Company. Additionally, it is known to pivot the frame carrying theaugers or other apparatus about a fixed point in the basket to compactthe cotton downwardly and toward one end of the basket, as disclosed inthe Nickla, Covington et al., and Buehler et al. patents referencedabove.

However, an observed shortcoming of the use of the known augers locatedat a fixed position near the top of the basket is that the compaction bythe augers occurs only when the cotton reaches the augers at which pointthe basket is nearly full, which results in only a minimal degree ofcompaction. Pivoting the frame carrying the augers downwardly into thebasket has been found to achieve more satisfactory compaction forpurposes of increasing basket capacity, but a shortcoming is that thecompaction is uneven, due to the arcuate motion of the frame as a resultof its pivotal connection. To better compact the cotton adjacent to thepivot end of the basket, the augers are typically directed to compactthe cotton toward that end. However, by using two methods of compactionof the cotton, namely, compaction by the pivoting frame at one end ofthe basket and compaction by the augers toward the opposite end,satisfactory uniformity of compaction for the purposes of modulebuilding has not been achieved, and thus this is considered to be ashortcoming of the known constructions.

As a result, when the basket of the known harvesters is full, the cottonis typically then transferred or dumped into a cotton module builder,which is a device separate from the harvester and operable to tamp orcompact and shape several basket loads of cotton into a large cottonmodule. Reference in this regard Haney et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,425,issued Jan. 22, 1980 to Cotton Machinery Company, Inc. which discloses arepresentative cotton module builder utilizing a fluid operated tamperfor compacting cotton movable longitudinally along the upper portion ofa rectangular frame for receiving and holding the cotton, the tamperbeing positionable at incremental locations along the frame andvertically operable for tamping the cotton at those locations to adesired degree of compaction or density. Additionally, when the loads ofcotton are dumped into the frame, the loads typically break apart andare unevenly distributed in the module builder frame. To level or evenout the cotton, the tamper is typically lowered down into the cotton andpushed or dragged longitudinally therethrough to distribute the cottonmore evenly. Once the cotton is more evenly distributed or leveled out,the tamper is then used to compact the cotton at incremental locationsalong the frame to form a rectangular cotton module using the frame as amold, the tamping resulting in sufficient compaction of the cotton suchthat when removed from the frame, the module is substantiallyfreestanding and retains a rectangular shape. This is effective, but istime and labor consuming, and thus is considered to be a less thanoptimal manner of producing a usable cotton module.

After being built, a cotton module is typically stored either in thefield or in a suitable storage structure such as a barn or the like foras long as several months before the gin is able to receive and processit. Thus, the degree and uniformity of compaction of the cotton isdesirably sufficient such that the module is able to retain at leastsubstantially its rectangular shape without support, for the duration ofstorage, transport to the gin and other handling.

The above-discussed procedure, namely, harvesting the cotton, collectingand compacting it to some extent in a basket, transferring or unloadingit from the basket into a module builder, then distributing the cottonwithin the module builder and moving the tamper along the frame andcompacting the cotton to build a module, is time consuming, laborintensive, and costly.

Accordingly, what is sought is a mobile or self-propelled cottonharvester including a module building capability, which can harvestcotton and build the cotton into a cotton module “on the go”, so as toeliminate or reduce many of the above-discussed handling steps betweenthe harvesting of the cotton and the building of the cotton module, andeliminate the need for the traditional separate module builder, tothereby reduce the time and cost of handling the cotton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is disclosed is a mobile, self-propelled cotton harvester having anon the go cotton module building or packaging capability, whichaccording to one aspect of the invention includes at least oneharvesting unit for removing cotton from cotton plants as the harvestermoves across a cotton field; a cotton receiver or compactor structureincluding a first surface which is preferably a floor having apredetermined extent and side walls and ends defining and substantiallyenclosing an interior space or module building chamber for receiving thecotton removed from the cotton plants; structure for conveying theremoved cotton from the at least one harvesting unit into the interiorspace or chamber; and apparatus for distributing and compacting thecotton within the interior space, including a compacting element locatedin the interior space, the compacting element supporting at least onemember operable for distributing cotton in contact therewith at leastgenerally evenly relative to the first surface, and at least one driverconnected to the compacting element and operable for moving thecompacting element to positions spaced from the first surface where theat least one member can be operated to distribute the cotton at leastgenerally evenly relative to the first surface, and the at least onedriver being operable for forceably moving the compacting element andthe at least one member along a predetermined path of movement from thepositions, respectively, toward the first surface and against cottondistributed between the compacting element and the first surface forsimultaneously and substantially evenly compacting the cotton againstthe first surface to form a cotton module or package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a representative self-propelledmobile cotton harvester including apparatus for building a cotton moduletherein according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a frame and rotatable members ofthe apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the mobile cotton harvester of FIG.1, with a rear gate of the apparatus of the invention removed to showinternal aspects thereof including a cotton module building chamber anda cotton distributor and compactor in an initial retracted positionwithin the chamber;

FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic rear view representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the cottondistributor and compactor in a compacting start position in the cottonmodule building chamber;

FIG. 5 is another simplified schematic rear representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the cottondistributor and compactor lowered to a fully extended compactingposition in the chamber;

FIG. 6 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the compactorraised from the initial compacting position with a cotton module builtto the level of the fully extended compacting position;

FIG. 7 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with a cotton modulebuilt to the level of the compactor when in the first position;

FIG. 8 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the compactorraised to a second position;

FIG. 9 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the compactorlowered in a compacting stroke from the second position;

FIG. 10 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the module built tothe second position of the compactor;

FIG. 11 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the compactorraised to a third position in the chamber;

FIG. 12 is another simplified schematic representation of the mobilecotton harvester and apparatus of the invention with the cotton modulebuilt up to the third position and the compactor retracted to theinitial retracted position of FIG. 3;

FIG. 13 is a simplified diagrammatic representation of a control systemfor the present invention;

FIG. 14 is another side view of the mobile cotton harvester andapparatus of the invention showing the completed cotton module beingunloaded from the chamber;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the mobile cottonharvester of FIG. 1, showing an alternative single fluid cylinderdriver; and

FIG. 16 is a simplified diagrammatic representation of an alternativecontrol system for the present invention using the single fluid cylinderdrivers of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1, a typical conventionalself-propelled mobile cotton harvester 10 is shown, including apparatus12 for building a cotton module according to the teachings of thepresent invention, as the cotton is being harvested. Cotton harvester 10includes a plurality of cotton harvesting row units 14 mountedtransversely across a forward end 16 of harvester 10 in the conventionalmanner, for removing cotton from cotton plants of a cotton field asharvester 10 is driven in a forward direction over the field. After thecotton is removed from the cotton plants by row units 14, the cotton isconveyed through a cotton conveyor structure 18 from the row units 14 toapparatus 12.

Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, instead of a conventional cottonreceiving basket, apparatus 12 for building the cotton module segmentincludes module building chamber 34 formed by a first surface which ispreferably a rectangular, generally horizontal floor 20 having apredetermined horizontal extent in a forward to rearward direction andin a side to side direction transverse or perpendicular to the forwardto rearward direction, and a structural frame 22 extending upwardlyrelative to floor 20 and supporting opposed side walls 24 and 26 whichextend upwardly and convergingly from floor 20, side walls 24 and 26terminating at a location about equal to or greater than a predeterminedheight Hi above floor 20. A forward wall 28 extends upwardly along aforward peripheral edge of floor 20 between side walls 24 and 26, adistance corresponding about to the height of walls 24 and 26. A foldinggate structure 30 is connected to apparatus 12 along a rearwardperipheral edge of floor 20. Gate structure 30 is foldable orretractable, as shown in FIG. 1, to position a first segment 32 thereofso as to extend upwardly relative to floor 20 to serve as a wallenclosing a rearward end of an interior space formed and defined bywalls 24, 26 and 28, which space comprises the module building chamber34. The upper portion of chamber 34 is covered by a roof structure 36supported by structural frame 22, cotton conveyor structure 18terminating at an opening (not shown) beneath roof structure 36 suchthat the harvested cotton conveyed through conveyor structure 18 will beintroduced into chamber 34 at a high location.

A cotton distributor and compactor 38 includes a rectangular frame 40supported or suspended in chamber 34 by a plurality of drivers 42operable for moving compactor 38 upwardly and downwardly relative tofloor 20 along a predetermined path of movement for positioningcompactor 38 at various locations or positions within chamber 34 fordistributing the cotton at least generally evenly therewithin withrespect to floor 20, and for forceably and evenly driving compactor 38against substantially all of the cotton distributed on floor 20simultaneously. Here, four drivers 42 are utilized at spaced locationsalong side walls 24 and 26 externally to chamber 34 to provide thedesired positioning and driving capabilities, although it should berecognized that other arrangements including a greater or lesser numberof drivers or different drivers could likewise be used, as long ascompactor 38 can be positioned thereby for distributing the cottonevenly within chamber 34 and forceably driven against the cotton toevenly compact it to the required extent. It is also preferred thatcompactor 38 follow an upwardly and downwardly generally linear path ofmovement relative to floor 20 which is at least generally perpendicularto floor 20, or at no more than a small acute angle deviation fromperpendicular thereto, and, it is preferred that compactor 38 beoriented generally parallel to floor 20, or at no more than a smallacute angle deviation from parallel thereto. The preferred generallyperpendicular path of movement and generally parallel orientation ofcompactor 38, or the no more than small deviations from thoserelationships relative to floor 20, are desirable as they have beenfound to be significant factors in obtaining the desired evenness ofcompaction of the cotton and integrity of modules built by the presentapparatus, as well as the stability or ability of the module to retain adesired generally rectangular shape over an extended period of timeafter removal from chamber 34. However, it should be recognized thatsome deviation of the path of movement of compactor 38 from thepreferred perpendicular to floor 20 and/or of compactor 38 from thepreferred parallel to floor 20 are expected and are permissible, due forinstance to fluid system irregularities and the like as discussed below,as long as the resulting module has the desired integrity and shaperetaining capability. Further, it is anticipated that for someapplications wherein a module is to be stored outdoors, it may desirablefor the top surface of the module to have a sloped or curved shape suchthat rain water, dew, and other moisture will run off of the module. Toform a module having such a sloped top surface, it is contemplated thatcompactor 38 can optionally be oriented at a small acute angle relativeto floor 20 so as to impart the desired slope to the module. To formsuch a curved shape, compactor can optionally have a surface or regionfor contacting the cotton which has a correspondingly curved shape.

Each driver 42 is preferably connected to frame 40 by an invertedL-shape arm structure 44 having a generally upright leg portionconnected to a lower end 46 of the driver 42, and a generally horizontalportion which extends through a generally vertical slot 48 through thecorresponding side wall 24 or 26 and connects to frame 40, whicharrangement is desirable as it allows the overall height of apparatus 12to remain the same regardless of the position of frame 40 in chamber 34.Each slot 48 preferably includes elements such as brushes, rubber flapsor boots, collapsible membranes, or the like, which permit longitudinalmovement of arm structure 44 therein while preventing escape ofsignificant quantities of cotton from chamber 34. Frame 40 is positionedin chamber 34 beneath the outlet of cotton conveyor structure 18, suchthat the cotton will be introduced into chamber 34 above frame 40. Frame40 supports or carries a plurality of longitudinally extendingstructural elements such as tubes 50 defining elongate upwardly facingopenings 52 through frame 40 for the passage of cotton therethrough.Frame 40 supports an elongate auger 54 in each space 52, for rotationabout a longitudinal axis extending therethrough. Each auger 54 isrotatable by a conventional hydraulic motor 55 or other suitableconventional rotating apparatus in a first rotational direction formoving or distributing cotton beneath the auger that comes into contacttherewith in a first longitudinal direction, and in an oppositerotational direction for moving or distributing the cotton beneath theauger in the opposite longitudinal direction. Additionally, when augers54 are rotated, any loose cotton on top of the augers, including cottonejected from cotton conveyor structure 18 onto the augers and frame 40,will be carried by the respective augers therearound to beneath theaugers and forced or integrated into the collected cotton therebeneath.In this way, cotton distributor and compactor 38 can operate “on thego”, that is, continually distribute the cotton as it is harvested andreceived in chamber 34. Here, it should be noted that a harvester suchas harvester 10 can harvest up to several hundred pounds of cotton cropper minute, and thus it is highly desirable that compactor 38 have thecapability for passage of significant quantities of cotton therethroughand the ability of integrating the cotton into cotton located in chamber34 below.

Referring to FIGS. 3-12, in FIG. 3, cotton distributor and compactor 38is shown in an uppermost or retracted position which locates the bottomof frame 40 of compactor 38 a distance H1 above floor 20. As shown inFIGS. 4-11, drivers 42 are operable for lowering cotton distributor andcompactor 38 to one or more positions in chamber 34, including a startposition and a plurality of indexing positions beneath or less thanheight H1 above floor 20, such that augers 54 can be rotated todistribute cotton in chamber 34 at least generally evenly over floor 20.As discussed above, it is preferred that compactor 38 be at leastgenerally parallel to or at no more than a small acute angle fromparallel to floor 20 when at the respective indexing positions, suchthat augers 54 will be similarly parallel to floor 20 or at the samesmall acute angle from parallel so as to be able to better distributethe cotton evenly with respect to floor 20. Drivers 42 are also operablewhen compactor 38 is at any of the indexing positions for forceablydriving compactor 38 downwardly from the indexing position against thecollected and distributed cotton beneath frame 40 with a sufficientforce to achieve substantially even compaction of the cotton to form thecotton into a unitary free standing module. Again, during thecompaction, and at least at maximum compaction, it is preferred thatcompactor 38 be at least generally parallel to floor 20 or within only asmall acute angle deviation from parallel, to achieve more evencompaction over the horizontal extent of the cotton on floor 20. Drivers42 shown each include two fluid cylinders, including an indexingcylinder 56 and a compacting cylinder 58. Each indexing cylinder 56 hasan upper end 60 which comprises the upper end of the driver 42 and isconnected by a pin 62 to an element of structural frame 22. Eachcylinder 56 includes a rod 64 extending downwardly therefrom andextendible into and retractable from the cylinder in the conventionalmanner by a fluid control circuit of a control system 80 (FIG. 13) whichprovides pressurized fluid to cylinders 56 substantially evenly, usingdivider valves or the like (not shown), so as to be operable forsimultaneously extending and retracting rods 64. Compacting cylinder 58of each driver 42 is mounted to a lower end of rod 64 of indexingcylinder 56. Each compacting cylinder 58 includes a rod 66 (FIG. 5)extendible therefrom and retractable therein by the introduction ofpressurized fluid into cylinder 58 from a fluid control circuit, whichcan also be, for instance, a master/slave circuit including two or moreof the cylinders 58, or a separate fluid feed to each cylinder 58, sothat rods 66 are simultaneously extended and retracted, the lower end ofeach rod 66 comprising lower end 46 of that driver 42 and beingconnected to arm structure 44 by a pin 68.

Here, it should be noted that it is a principle goal of the presentinvention to uniformly distribute and adequately compact the cottonreceived in chamber 34 sufficiently to form a unitary cotton module, orat least a segment or portion of a cotton module, which, when removedfrom chamber 34, will have and retain a generally quadrangularcross-sectional shape and size essentially as required or desired forprocessing by a conventional cotton gin in a manner comparable orsimilar to that for processing a traditionally built cotton module. Inpursuit of this goal, the extent or width of floor 20 between side walls24 and 26 preferably conforms approximately to the width of atraditional module builder frame, the extent of floor 20 between forwardwall 28 and gate structure 30 preferably conforms to at least a portionof the length of a traditional module builder frame, and walls 24, 26,and 28 and gate 30 preferably have a sufficient height or verticalextent, such that a cotton module or segment thereof built in thepresent apparatus 12 will be substantially similar dimensionally to atleast a traditionally built cotton module or segment of a cotton module.The length of floor 20 of apparatus 12 shown is approximately 16 feetwhich is one half of the length of the frame of a traditional modulebuilder, and about 7 feet wide at the bottom which corresponds to thewidth of a conventional module, such that two modules built by apparatus12 can be placed end-to-end to equal a conventionally built cottonmodule in length. However, it should be understood that cotton moduleshaving other lengths, both shorter and longer than the present length,can be used and are thus contemplated according to the invention. Itshould also be noted that walls 24 and 26 extend convergingly in theupward direction. This is done intentionally, as it is anticipated thata module built using apparatus will expand when removed from chamber 34,and by compacting the cotton to this shape, when removed the module willgradually assume a more desired generally rectangular shape. In thisregard, walls 24 and 26 each extend inwardly into chamber 34 by 1 inchfor each foot of rise.

As will be shown, use of the present apparatus can significantly reduceor eliminate aspects of the previously required steps of compactingseveral basket loads of cotton in a conventional cotton receivingbasket, transporting and unloading each of the loads to a traditionalcotton module builder, moving the tamper along the frame to distributeand level the cotton, and then tamping or compacting the cotton in themodule builder incrementally along the length thereof to obtain aconventional cotton module. Using apparatus 12, a cotton module can bebuilt continuously as the cotton is harvested, which is advantageousboth timewise and costwise, particularly due to the elimination of theneed for the traditional module builder and multiple trips between theharvester and the module builder. The degree of compaction and densityachieved using the present apparatus has also been found to besufficient such that the module formed will have a water repellantproperty in some instances, such that modules can be stored outdoorswithout suffering degradation and water damage.

Here also, it should be noted that by use of apparatus 12 it is desiredto build a cotton module that is more uniformly distributed andcompacted, that is, the cotton at any level within the module will besubstantially evenly distributed and subjected to substantially the samedegree of compaction, so as to have substantially the same densityacross the module at any selected height. This can be important duringlong storage periods as a more evenly compacted module will have atendency to better retain its rectangular shape and not tilt to one sideor end and/or break apart when handled and transported. Also, a moreuniformly compacted module can be more easily processed at the cottongin. In this regard, frame 40 of compactor 38 is only marginally smallerin horizontal extent than floor 20 both lengthwise and widthwise, suchthat substantially all of the cotton beneath frame 40 is simultaneouslyand evenly compacted thereby. In this respect, it is recognized thatwhen multiple fluid cylinders such as cylinders 56 and 58 are used toperform an indexing or compacting function, the cylinders beingsimultaneously operated may not extend or retract at exactly the samerate, due for instance, to differing weights being raised or lowered bythe individual cylinders, such as due to the location of variouselements of compactor 38 nearer one end or side thereof compared toanother; various opposing forces encountered, for instance, due to thelocation of more cotton under one end or side of the compactor; and/ordifferent fluid delivery rates and pressures for the individualcylinders, due to the fluid circuitry involved or proximity to thepressurized fluid source. Thus, compactor 38 may not be maintainedprecisely parallel to floor 20 or follow a perfectly linear pathperpendicular to floor 20 when moving and engaged with the underlyingcotton. However, as long as the orientation and path of movement usedachieve a sufficiently uniformly compacted module which has the desiredintegrity and shape retention properties, they will be acceptable forthe purposes of the present invention.

Here also, it should be understood that although the various aspects ofthe operation of apparatus 12 are preferably automatically operated,they can alternatively be selectably manually operated orsemi-automatically operated, as desired. The operation mode can also beoperator selectable, as desired, using selector switches located in theoperator cab or elsewhere, as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 4—13, illustrative steps of a preferred method ofoperation of apparatus 12 for building a cotton module in chamber 34, ascotton is being harvested by row units 14 and continually conveyed intomodule building chamber 34, are shown (FIGS. 4-12), along with arepresentative diagram showing elements of a control system 80 forperforming the steps (FIG. 13). Referring first to FIGS. 4 and 13,compactor 38 is initially moved from the initial retracted positionshown in FIG. 3 to a first indexing or compacting start position asshown, a distance H2, which is equal to H1−X, above floor 20 bysimultaneously fully extending rods 64 of indexing cylinders 56, by theamount X, with compacting cylinders 58 remaining fully retracted. Thiscan be done manually by the operator, or automatically, as will beexplained. The amount X, as well as the other displacements of cylinders56 can be detected or determined using any suitable conventional means,such as one or more conventional displacement sensors located incylinders 56 or externally thereto, represented by displacementtransducer 82 in FIG. 13, or an optical detector, proximity detector, orthe like. At the start of operation, augers 54 are rotated in arotational direction for moving cotton therebeneath forwardly. Rotationof augers 54 is initiated by an auger motor control 84 which ispreferably a three position switch located in the operator cab ofharvester 10 and connected by a conductive path 86 to a processor basedelectronic control unit (ECU) 88 of system 80, ECU 88 being connectedvia conductive path 86 to a three way solenoid valve 90 or other valvearrangement disposed in connection with auger motors 55 and a fluid pump92 via a fluid path 94 operable for reversing direction of rotation ofauger motors 55. The forward direction of rotation of augers 54 isselected as the cotton entering chamber 34 is blown to the rearward endtherein and it is thus desired to first distribute cotton accumulatingin the rear end of chamber 34 forwardly. It is desired to distribute thecotton in chamber 34 at least generally evenly and more preferablysubstantially evenly over floor 20 and to achieve this it is good toalso rotate augers 54 for distributing the cotton rearwardly, and thenpossibly forwardly again, or alternatingly forwardly and rearwardly.This can be done manually by the operator using control 84 while viewingthe cotton in chamber 34, a yield monitor for cotton flow, orautomatically by ECU 88 using inputs from a pressure transducer 96connected to fluid path 94 and operable for monitoring fluid pressure inauger motor 55 and outputting a signal representative thereof to ECU 88over conductive path 86, ECU effecting the reversal of the direction ofrotation of fluid motors 55 by sending a control signal to valve 90 whenthe output signals received indicate a predetermined pressure conditionrepresentative of conditions in chamber 34 wherein reversal is requiredor desired. Reversal can also be effected by other means, such as by useof a timer connected to or in ECU 88 to effect reversal after someelapsed time, or other condition is met.

As cotton begins to fill chamber 34, the fluid pressure in motors 55will rise in response to increased resistance to movement of augers 54in the cotton. This fluid pressure can be monitored by transducer 96,and when it reaches a predetermined level, a compacting stroke bycompacting cylinders 58 is initiated, again, either manually by anoperator using a compacting cylinder operator control 98, orautomatically. Control 98 can be for instance a two position turn/pushswitch connected to ECU 88 via conductive path 86.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 13, the downward compacting stroke bycompacting cylinders 58 from the start position can be activatedmanually by the operator moving the switch of control 98 to a manualposition and pushing the switch which will send a signal to ECU 88 tostroke compacting cylinders 58 one time. In the first compacting stroke,rods 66 of cylinders 58 will be simultaneously fully extended by theamount Y, while indexing cylinders 56 remain fully extended, such thatcompactor 38 will be moved downwardly to a first compacting position adistance H2−Y above floor 20, to substantially evenly compact the cottonbeneath compactor 38 into a partial cotton module segment 70. Toaccomplish this, ECU 88 sends a control signal to a solenoid controlvalve 100 or the like via conductive path 86 to direct fluid underpressure through fluid path 94 from pump 92 to cylinders 58 to extendrods 66, and then to retract rods 66 when a fluid pressure in cylinders58 reaches a predetermined pressure as detected by pressure transducer96 or rods 66 reach a desired degree of extension as determined by anoptional displacement transducer 102 connected to ECU 88 by conductivepath 86, to complete a compacting cycle. With control 98 switched to theautomatic position instead of the manual position, ECU 88 can initiatethe compacting stroke when the output signal from transducer 96 reachesa predetermined value.

Referring to FIG. 6, after completion of the compacting cycle a voidarea 72 is present above module 70 for cotton to fill. Rotation ofaugers 54 in a direction reverse of the last previous direction is nowinitiated, either manually, or automatically by ECU 88 in the abovedescribed manner. The direction of rotation of augers 54 can be reversedone or more times to evenly distribute the cotton in chamber 34, asabove. As the cotton is compacted by augers 54, the auger motor pressurewill build again and when the auger motor pressure reaches apredetermined or set pressure value as detected by transducer 96, therotation of augers 54 is preferably stopped and another compactingstroke is made, extending rods 66 of compacting cylinders 58simultaneously by an amount up to the amount Y, such that compactor 38will again be moved downwardly to the first compacting position adistance H2−Y or higher above floor 20 to again compact the cottonsubstantially evenly beneath compactor 38 into the partial cotton modulesegment 70. Here, it should be noted that the degree of compaction insubsequent compacting strokes is not expected to reach the full valueH2−Y due to the greater amount of cotton now comprising module segment70. Compacting cylinders 58 are then fully retracted thereby completinganother compacting cycle and again lowering the auger motor pressurewhen rotated, leaving the remaining portion of void area 72 above module70 to be filled.

This sequence of steps, namely, augering the cotton in area 72 to atleast generally evenly distribute the cotton over module segment 70,performing a compacting cycle when the auger motor pressure reaches apredetermined value, and then resuming augering, is repeated until theauger motor pressure during auger rotation stays above the predeterminedvalue after a compacting cycle, the rotational direction of augers 54being reversed after each compacting cycle, and the compacting strokeshortening after successive compacting cycles, due to the build up ofmodule segment 70. It should be noted that it is preferred that augers54 at least momentarily pause and not be rotating when reversed so as toavoid sending a pressure spike through the hydraulic system. Also, ithas been found that when rotating augers are forced into highlycompacted cotton the auger motor pressure is raised significantly, tothe relief pressure for the motors, such that rotation will be stoppeddue to that pressure. Thus, for this reason it may be desired to haltrotation of augers 54 when the compacting stroke is initiated andthroughout the compacting cycles.

Module building using compacting cylinders 58 from the start position ispreferably signaled as complete when the auger motor pressure duringrotation of the augers stays above the predetermined value after acompacting cycle, that is compacting cylinders 58 are extended to theextent possible given the operating pressure thereof and retracted,which signals that module segment 70 has reached a desired degree ofcompaction and height beneath compactor 38 approximately equal to thestart position, or about the distance H2 above floor 20, as shown inFIG. 7. Alternatively, completion at the start position can bedetermined by other means, for instance, by an optical detector, by anelapsed time, by the completion of a predetermined number of compactingcycles, by the completion of a compacting stroke of a predeterminedminimum length or time duration, by a combination of these, forinstance, a predetermined number of compacting cycles within apredetermined time period, visually, or when some other desiredcondition is met.

Then, referring to FIGS. 8 and 13, indexing cylinders 56 will beactivated to retract by a predetermined amount A to position compactor38 at second indexing position a distance H2+A above floor 20 to createa new void area 72 to be packed with cotton. This can be accomplishedeither manually by an operator using an indexing cylinder operatorcontrol 102, or automatically. Control 102 can be for instance anothertwo position turn/push (momentary contact or similar) switch connectedto ECU 88 via conductive path 86. The upward indexing movement byindexing cylinders 56 is activated manually by the operator moving theswitch of control 102 to a manual position and pushing the switch whichwill send a signal to ECU 88 to retract indexing cylinders 56 and whenthe desired position is reached the switch is released to halt theupward movement. The position can be determined visually or using asensor or detector operable to determine the position of indexingcylinders 56 or compactor 38, such as a compactor position sensor 106connected to ECU 88 via conductive path 86. For automatic operation,control 102 can be moved to the automatic position such that ECU 88 candetermine the displacement of rods 64 of cylinders 56 using displacementtransducer 82 which will output a signal representative thereof to ECU88 via conductive path 86, such that, in turn, ECU 88 can send a controlsignal to a solenoid control valve 104 or the like via conductive path86 to direct fluid under pressure through fluid path 94 from pump 92 tocylinders 56 to retract rods 64 by the appropriate amount. This can beinitiated when a signal received from compactor position sensor 106 hasdetected compactor 38 at position H1 and transducer 96 is sending asignal indicating that auger motor pressure is at the predeterminedlevel for compacting after a compacting cycle. Due to the presence ofnew void area 72, the auger motor pressure will be lower during rotationof augers 54, and again, the rotation of auger 54 will be reversed.

As the cotton fills new void 72, the auger motor pressure will build andwhen it reaches the predetermined or set pressure value, rotation ofaugers 54 may be stopped and rods 66 of compacting cylinders 58 will besimultaneously fully extended by the amount Y or until maximum systempressure or a relief pressure is reached, while indexing cylinders 56remain retracted by the amount A, such that compactor 38 will again bemoved downwardly to a compacting position a distance H2+A−Y above floor20 to compact and integrate the cotton beneath compactor 38 into thepartial cotton module segment 70, as shown in FIG. 9. Again, this can bedone manually or automatically. After the compacting stroke, thecompacting cylinders 58 are then fully retracted by the amount Ycompleting the compacting cycle and thereby lowering the auger motorpressure and leaving the remaining portion of void area 72 above module70 to be filled with the incoming cotton. Augers 54 will now again berotated in the direction reverse of the previous direction.

This sequence of steps, namely, augering the cotton in area 72 towardone end, compacting when auger motor pressure reaches a predeterminedlevel, and augering in a reverse direction, is repeated, the height ofmodule segment 70 gradually building and the length of the compactingstrokes gradually decreasing.

Module building by compacting cylinders 58 from the second position iscompleted when the auger motor pressure stays above the predeterminedvalue after compacting cylinders 58 perform a compacting cycle, or whenone or more of the other conditions discussed above are met, whichsignals that module segment 70 has reached a desired degree ofcompaction and a predetermined height beneath compactor 38.

Next, to further compact the module segment from the second position,indexing cylinders 56 are used to perform a packing cycle. The downwardpacking stroke by indexing cylinders 56 can be activated manually usingcontrol 102 or automatically by the auger motor pressure staying abovethe predetermined or set pressure value after the compacting cylinders58 perform one of their compacting cycles. During the packing stroke,augers 54 preferably stop and the compacting cylinders 58 remainretracted. In the packing stroke, indexing cylinders 56 aresimultaneously extended by an amount equal to all or a portion of thedistance A, thereby driving compactor 38 downwardly, packing the cottonevenly and simultaneously beneath compactor 38.

The indexing cylinders 56 then retract again to complete the packingcycle and position compactor 38 at the second position H2+A therebylowering the auger motor pressure and leaving a void area for cotton tofill. Augers 54 again reverse direction and the void begins to fill withcotton. Auger motor pressure builds again to the predetermined or setpressure and the compacting cylinders 58 are again manually orautomatically activated to perform a compacting cycle. This sequence ofsteps is then repeated until the auger motor pressure stays above thepredetermined or set pressure value after a compacting cycle, the augerrotation direction being reversed after each compacting cycle. Indexingcylinders 56 are then activated to perform a packing cycle. Then, theaugering and compaction steps are repeated until the auger motorpressure stays above the predetermined or set pressure value, a packingcycle by indexing cylinders 56 being used when the auger motor pressureafter a compacting cycle remains above the predetermined value. Modulebuilding by the indexing cylinders 56 in the second position iscompleted when the auger motor pressure stays above the predetermined orset value after indexing cylinders 56 perform a packing cycle, or whenone or more of the other conditions are met, signaling that modulesegment 70 has been compacted and built to a height of about thedistance H2+A above floor 20, as shown in FIG. 10.

Referring now to FIG. 11, indexing cylinders 56 will then be manually orautomatically activated to retract by an amount B in the above describedmanner from the second position to move compactor 38 up to a thirdindexing position, which is the amount H2+A+B above floor 20, therebyproviding a new void area 72 above module segment 70 to fill withincoming cotton from conveyor structure 18. Again, indexing cylinders 56can alternatively be activated to retract to the third position after aset amount of time, a predetermined number of indexing cylinder packingstrokes, by a combination of factors, or after visual inspection. As aresult of retracting indexing cylinders 56 to position compactor 38 atthe third position, the auger motor pressure lowers. Augers 54 will alsoreverse direction from the previous direction they were turning beforeindexing. The incoming cotton is continuously distributed into thecotton module being built under compactor 38, and the compaction strokeof the compacting cylinders 58 is again activated by the auger motorpressure reaching the predetermined or set pressure value. Again, whenthis occurs, augers 54 can continue or stop rotating and the compactingcylinders 58 will simultaneously extend lowering the compactor 38 forcompacting the cotton under it. Indexing cylinders 56 remain in thethird position during this operation.

The compacting cylinders 58 then retract to complete the compactingcycle thereby lowering the auger motor pressure and leaving a void area72 for cotton to fill, and augers 54 reverse direction from the previousdirection. As cotton is added to the module, the auger motor pressurebuilds again and another compacting cycle by compacting cylinders 58 isperformed. These steps are repeated until the auger motor pressure staysabove the predetermined or set pressure value after a compacting cycle.

Module building by compacting cylinders 58 in the third position iscompleted when the auger motor pressure stays above the predetermined orset value after compacting cylinders 58 perform a compacting cycle.Then, a packing cycle by indexing cylinders 56 will be performed to packthe cotton into module segment 70 beneath compactor 38. Here, it shouldbe noted that with compactor 38 in this position, the density of modulesegment 70 may be great enough and/or segment 70 high enough thatcompaction by compacting cylinders 58 may not be necessary orbeneficial. In this instance, the compaction may be done only usingindexing cylinders 56. The maximum packing stroke by cylinders 56 fromthe third position is the distance A+B, which is longer than that fromthe second position, A, although the packing stroke distance, like theother stroke lengths, can be varied as required or desired for aparticular application. Also, the degree of compaction of the cottonbeneath compactor 38 may be sufficiently high such that the modulesegment 70 itself will limit or determine the possible extent of thepacking stroke, similarly to the compacting stroke, by the reaching ofthe relief pressure for indexing cylinders 56 or the maximum systempressure. When indexing cylinders 56 retract, the auger motor pressureis lower and the remaining void area 72 can be filled with cotton.Augers 54 reverse direction from the previous direction, and alternatingaugering and compacting cycles are repeated until the auger motorpressure stays above the predetermined or set pressure value after acompacting cycle, the rotational direction of augers 54 being reversedafter each compacting cycle. Indexing cylinders 56 are then activated toperform an indexing packing stroke. Indexing cylinders 56 retract andthe augering, compacting, and packing steps are repeated in the abovesequence until the auger motor pressure stays above the predetermined orset pressure, or one or more of the other conditions are met, indicatingthat the module building at the third position is complete, or aftervisual inspection. To signal the operator that the module is nearingcompletion, an automatic warning system can be provided including amodule status signal output device 108 connected to ECU 88 and operableto signal the operator to enable the operator to make determinationssuch as whether a current pass over the cotton field should or can becompleted or a new pass made before the module is unloaded. Modulestatus signal 108 can include a series of indicator lights showingmodule height or some other parameter, to aid in this determination. Amodule complete signal can also be provided which is automaticallyactivated to inform the operator that module 70 is complete and ready tobe unloaded. Here, it should be noted that if a decision is made tounload an incomplete module, it can be safely done, as the incompletemodule at any time after compaction will be adequately compacted so asto comprise a unitary structure that will retain its shape when removedfrom chamber 34 and subsequently stored and handled. An important factorto be considered by the operator when determining whether to complete apass through a field or start a new pass is the harvesting yield whichis optionally monitored automatically during the harvesting operation.Typically, a harvester such as harvester 10 having six harvesting units14 can harvest as much as about 500 pounds of cotton crop per minute andif harvesting is continued after module 70 is built to such an extentthat augers 54 are stopped and are no longer capable of integrating thecotton into module 70, there is the risk that a sufficient amount ofcotton will be deposited onto and present on compactor 38 so as to becompacted against the top or roof of chamber 34 by compactor 38 on itsupstrokes or when returning to the retracted or initial position suchthat the cotton could possibly damage the top or roof and require manualremoval.

When the operator comes out of the field or otherwise is finished withmodule 70, a module build switch 110 can be switched off and compactingcylinders 58 and indexing cylinders 56 retracted completely, to positioncompactor 38 in the retracted or initial position, as shown in FIG. 12,such that a clearance space 74 exists above module segment 70 which isnow a completed module, or compactor is sufficiently removed from module70 such that module 70 can be unloaded without damage from chamber 34.Side wall 24 and/or 26 can then be released by pivoting or otherwisemoving outwardly to facilitate removal of module 70 from chamber 34, forinstance, using a release mechanism such as mechanism 120 shown in FIG.15 and discussed hereinafter.

Turning to FIG. 14, to unload completed module 70, the forward end ofapparatus 12 can be elevated by extending a conventional fluid cylinder76 connected between the forward end of apparatus 12 and harvester 10,and gate structure 30 unfolded using fluid cylinders or other apparatusfor that purpose to provide or serve as a ramp extending from floor 20to the ground or another location such as a trailer or truck bed forreceiving module 70. Conventional drag chains 78 or other suitablemoving elements on floor 20 and gate structure 30, such as belts or thelike, can then be activated to drag or convey completed module 70 to theground, and once the rear end of module 70 is on the ground, harvester10 can be moved forwardly at about the same speed as the rearwardmovement of module 70 by drag chains 78 or the like, to facilitategentle placement of module 70 onto the ground.

Due to the substantially even distribution of the cotton within chamber34 and the simultaneous, even compacting forces applied during thebuilding of the module 70 by apparatus 12, module 70 will have aunitary, consistent composition which allows it to retain asubstantially rectangular freestanding shape for a long period ofoutdoor storage and during handling, and which allows it to be desirablyprocessed by a traditional cotton gin using traditional handlingapparatus and methods.

Regarding pressure, by using a two cylinder system, a lower systempressure or smaller cylinders can be used for the compacting cylinderscompared to the indexing cylinders such that compacting strokes ofprogressively shorter length can be used, while a single indexingposition is maintained by the indexing cylinders. Here, it should benoted that drivers 42 can each alternatively comprise a single fluidcylinder, or other driving arrangement such as, but not limited to, acombination fluid cylinder and gear arrangement such as a rack andpinion, a fluid motor or screw arrangement such as a screw jack,according to the present invention. An advantage, however, of utilizingdrivers 42 including separate fluid cylinders for indexing andcompacting functions as opposed to a single cylinder to perform bothfunctions is the ability to use a simple measure such as the maximumlength or fluid pressure of cylinders 58 as the measure of thecompacting stroke. In this latter regard, it being possible to use asmaller size fluid cylinder for cylinders 58, compared to the size ofcylinders 56, if desired. As representative values for amounts H1, H2,X, Y, A, and B, for the present embodiment discussed above, H1 can equalabout 6.9 feet, H2 can equal about 4.9 feet; X can equal about 2.0 feet;Y can equal about 1.5 feet; and A and B can each equal about one thirdof X or about 8 inches, such that the maximum compaction strokes will beabout 1.5 feet, the maximum packing strokes from the second indexingposition will be about 8 inches, and the maximum packing strokes fromthe third indexing position will be about 16 inches. Thus, from thestart position with compactor 38 at about 4.9 feet from floor 20 themaximum compacting strokes will compact module segment 70 down to about3.4 feet high; from the second indexing position at about 5.6 feet abovefloor 20 the maximum compacting strokes will compact the module down toabout 4.1 feet high and the maximum packing strokes will pack down toabout 4.9 feet high; and from the third indexing position at about 6.2feet above floor 20 it may be possible using the maximum compactingstroke to compact down to about 4.7 feet and using the maximum packingstroke down to a slightly higher level, about 4.9 feet, the desiredcompleted module height in chamber 34 being approximately 6.2 feet, itbeing understood that module 70 will increase slightly in height andwidth at the top due to natural decompression or expansion of the cottonwhen removed from chamber 34.

In this regard, as noted above, chamber 34 shown has a bottom widthviewed from the front or rear of about 7 feet and a length of about 16feet, and completed modules 70 will have a height of about 6.2 feet whenin chamber 34, after removal from chamber 34 and passage of sufficienttime for normal expansion, the height of module 70 increasing to about6.5 feet and module 70 assuming a more rectangular shape, such that atypical module 70 will have a volume of about 728 cubic feet (7 times 16times 6.5). The weight of completed modules 70 will be from about 8,000to about 11,000 pounds, which is approximately the current carryingcapacity of harvesters such as harvester 10. Thus, average density ofmodules 70 can be computed using the following formula:

Average Density = Average Weight/Volume = 9,500 pounds/728 cubic feet = 13.0 pounds/cubic foot.

It has been found that an average cotton density of about 12 pounds percubic foot is adequate for providing the desired integration and unitarystructure which enables modules 70 to be stored for long periods andhandled without loss of shape or integrity. In comparison, currently,the largest cotton receiving basket of a conventional prior art cottonharvester, such as that shown in Covington et al. U.S. Pat. No.5,533,932, is about 11 feet wide by 9.2 feet high by 14.2 feet long fora volume of about 1437 cubic feet, which is about twice the volume ofchamber 34. The maximum weight of cotton that can be carried, again, aslimited by the weight capacity of the harvester, is about the same asharvester 10, or 8,500 to 10,500 pounds. The average density of thecompacted cotton using the compaction device of the referenced prior artpatent can be computed using the same formula as follows:

Average Density = Average Weight/Volume = 9,500/1437 = 6.6 pounds/cubicfoot.

An expected maximum range of average density for known apparatus forcompacting cotton in baskets of harvesters is about 7 pounds per cubicfoot. Thus it can be seen by comparing the average 13.0 pounds/cubicfoot cotton density achievable using the present module builderapparatus verses the average 6.6 pounds/cubic foot density achievableusing the prior art basket and compacting apparatus, a substantiallygreater degree of compaction is achieved using the present modulebuilder. This greater compaction and the evenness of the compaction, aremaintained after the module is removed from chamber 34 and areinstrumental to the ability of the module to retain its shape, evenafter a period of months of storage, and after handling andtransporting. The greater compaction is also valuable as it providessufficient cotton density such that module 70 will shed water at leastto a significant extent when rained on, which has not been found to betrue of cotton compacted to the lesser extent and less evenly by theprior art apparatus discussed above. These properties of the modulesbuilt according to the present invention are evidence of the superiorityof even distribution and compaction of the cotton as compared tocompaction by a member that pivots downwardly at only one end whichrelies on augers to compact at the other end.

Referring now to FIGS. 15 and 16, apparatus 12 including single fluidcylinders 112 as drivers 42, and a control system 114 for automaticallyor semi-automatically controlling cylinders 112 for building modules inchamber 34 is shown, like parts of system 114 and system 80 beingidentified by like numbers. Again, like with system 80, although thevarious steps of the present method are preferably automaticallyoperated using system 114, they can alternatively be selectably manuallyoperated or semi-automatically operated, as desired. In FIG. 15, asingle fluid cylinder 112 of a representative driver 42 is shown,including an upper end 60 connected to structural frame 22, and anopposite lower end 46 of a rod thereof connected to arm structure 44 inthe above described manner. Single cylinders 112 have the same length asthe combined cylinders 56 and 58 and operate to extend and retract therod in the same manner, so as to be physically essentiallyinterchangeable therewith Side wall 26 is also shown pivotally connectedat the top thereof to structural frame 22 by a pin 118, and at thebottom by a release mechanism 120 noted above, including a fluidcylinder 122 connected at one end to frame 22 and at the opposite end toa folding linkage arrangement 124 connected between wall 26 and frame22, such that operating cylinder 122 to retract will fold linkagearrangement 124 to pivot wall 26 about pin 118 sufficiently to enlargechamber 34 such that a space will exist beside a module located thereinto facilitate removal thereof, a similar release mechanism beingprovided for side wall 24 (not shown).

Referring also to FIGS. 4-12 illustrative steps of a preferred method ofoperation of apparatus 12 including drivers 42 having single cylinders112 for building a cotton module in chamber 34, as cotton is beingharvested by row units 14 and continually conveyed into module buildingchamber 34, will be discussed, it being understood that cylinders 112should be envisioned in place of cylinders 56 and 58. Referring first toFIGS. 4, 15, and 16, compactor 38 is initially moved from the initialretracted position shown in FIG. 3 to the first indexing or compactingstart position as shown, preferably at least generally parallel to floor20 and the distance H2 above floor 20 by simultaneously extending fluidcylinders 112 by the required amount. This can be done manually by theoperator, or automatically, as will be explained. The required amount ofdisplacement of cylinders 112 can be detected or determined using anysuitable conventional means, such as one or more conventionaldisplacement sensors located in cylinders 112 or externally thereto,represented by displacement transducer 82 in FIG. 16, or an opticaldetector, proximity detector, liquid flow monitors, or the like. At thestart of operation, augers 54 are rotated in a rotational direction formoving cotton therebeneath forwardly. Rotation of augers 54 is initiatedas before by an auger motor control 84 connected by conductive path 86to ECU 88 of system 114, ECU 88 being connected via conductive path 86to three way solenoid valve 90 or other valve arrangement disposed inconnection with auger motors 55 and fluid pump 92 via fluid path 94operable for reversing direction of rotation of auger motors 55. Again,as when using the double cylinder system, the forward direction ofrotation of augers 54 is selected as the cotton entering chamber 34 isblown to the rearward end therein and it is thus desired to firstdistribute cotton accumulating in the rear end of chamber 34 forwardly.It is desired to distribute the cotton in chamber 34 at least generallyevenly and preferably substantially evenly over floor 20 and to achievethis it is good to also rotate augers 54 for distributing the cottonrearwardly, and then possibly forwardly again, or alternatinglyforwardly and rearwardly as required to achieve the desired evenness.This can be done manually by the operator using control 84 while viewingthe cotton in chamber 34, a yield monitor for cotton flow, orautomatically by ECU 88 using inputs from pressure transducer 96connected to fluid path 94 and operable for monitoring fluid pressure inauger motor 55 and outputting a signal representative thereof to ECU 88over conductive path 86, ECU effecting the reversal of the direction ofrotation of fluid motors 55 by sending a control signal to valve 90 whenthe output signals received indicate a predetermined pressure conditionrepresentative of conditions in chamber 34 wherein reversal is requiredor desired. Reversal can also be effected by other means, such as by useof a timer connected to or in ECU 88 to effect reversal after someelapsed time, or other condition is met.

As cotton begins to fill chamber 34, the fluid pressure in motors 55will rise in response to increased resistance to movement of augers 54in the cotton. This fluid pressure can be monitored by transducer 96,and when it reaches a predetermined level, a compacting stroke bycylinders 112 is initiated, the stroking and other operation ofcylinders 112 being effected either manually by an operator using anindexing/compacting cylinder operator control 116, or automatically.Control 116 can be for instance a two position turn/push switchconnected to ECU 88 via conductive path 86.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 15, and 16, again envisioning cylinders 112 inplace of cylinders 56 and 58, the downward compacting stroke bycylinders 112 from the start position is activated manually by theoperator moving the switch of control 116 to a manual position andpushing the switch which will send a signal to ECU 88 to strokecylinders 112 one time to simultaneously fully extend by the amount Y,such that compactor 38 will be moved downwardly preferably while atleast generally parallel to floor 20 to a first compacting position thedistance H2−Y above floor 20, to compact the cotton beneath compactor 38into a partial cotton module segment 70. To accomplish this, ECU 88sends a control signal to a solenoid control valve 104 or the like viaconductive path 86 to direct fluid under pressure through fluid path 94from pump 92 to cylinders 112 to extend, and then to retract to theposition to locate compactor 38 at the position in FIG. 4, when a fluidpressure in cylinders 112 reaches a predetermined pressure as detectedby pressure transducer 96 or cylinders 112 reach a desired degree ofextension as determined by displacement transducer 82 connected to ECU88 by conductive path 86, to complete a compacting cycle. With control116 switched to the automatic position, ECU 88 can initiate thecompacting stroke when the output signal from transducer 96 reachesanother predetermined value.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 15, and 16, after completion of the compactingcycle a void area 72 is present above module 70 for cotton to fill.Rotation of augers 54 in a direction reverse of the last previousdirection is now initiated, either manually, or automatically by ECU 88in the above described manner. The direction of rotation of augers 54can be reversed one or more times to evenly distribute the cotton inchamber 34, as above. As the cotton is compacted by augers 54, the augermotor pressure will build again and when the auger motor pressurereaches a predetermined or set pressure value as detected by transducer96, the rotation of augers 54 is preferably stopped and anothercompacting stroke is made, extending cylinders 112 simultaneously by anamount up to the amount Y, such that compactor 38 will again be moveddownwardly preferably while at least generally parallel to floor 20 tothe first compacting position a distance H2−Y or higher above floor 20to again compact the cotton beneath compactor 38 into the partial cottonmodule segment 70. Here, it should be noted that the degree ofcompaction in subsequent compacting strokes is not expected to reach thefull value H2−Y due to the greater amount of cotton now comprisingmodule segment 70. Cylinders 112 are then fully retracted therebycompleting another compacting cycle and again lowering the auger motorpressure when rotated, leaving the remaining portion of void area 72above module 70 to be filled.

This sequence of steps, namely, augering the cotton in area 72 to evenlydistribute the cotton over module segment 70, performing a compactingcycle when the auger motor pressure reaches a predetermined value, andthen resuming augering, is repeated until the auger motor pressureduring auger rotation stays above the predetermined value after acompacting cycle, the rotational direction of augers 54 being reversedafter each compacting cycle, and the compacting stroke shortening aftersuccessive compacting cycles, due to the build up of module segment 70.As before, it should be noted that it is preferred that augers 54 atleast momentarily pause and not be rotating when reversed so as to avoidsending a pressure spike through the hydraulic system and otherproblems.

Module building using cylinders 112 from the start position ispreferably signaled as complete when the auger motor pressure duringrotation of the augers stays above the predetermined value after acompacting cycle, that is cylinders 112 are extended to the extentpossible given the operating pressure thereof and retracted, whichsignals that module segment 70 has reached a desired degree ofcompaction and height beneath compactor 38 approximately equal to thestart position, or about the distance H2 above floor 20, as shown inFIG. 7. Alternatively, completion at the start position can bedetermined by other means, for instance, by an optical detector, by anelapsed time, by the completion of a predetermined number of compactingcycles, by the completion of a compacting stroke of a predeterminedminimum length or time duration, by a combination of these, forinstance, a predetermined number of compacting cycles within apredetermined time period, visually, or when some other desiredcondition is met.

Then, referring to FIGS. 8, 15, and 16, again envisioning cylinders 112in place of cylinders 56 and 58, cylinders 112 will be activated toretract by a predetermined amount A to position compactor 38 at secondindexing position a distance H2+A above floor 20 to create a new voidarea 72 to be packed with cotton. This can be accomplished eithermanually by an operator using control 116, or automatically. The upwardindexing movement by cylinders 112 is activated manually by the operatormoving the switch of control 116 to a manual position and pushing theswitch which will send a signal to ECU 88 to retract cylinders 112 andwhen the desired position is reached the switch is released to halt theupward movement. The position can be determined visually or using asensor or detector operable to determine the position of cylinders 112such as transducer 82. For automatic operation, control 116 can be movedto the automatic position such that ECU 88 can determine thedisplacement of cylinders 112 using displacement transducer 82 whichwill output a signal representative thereof to ECU 88 via conductivepath 86, such that, in turn, ECU 88 can send a control signal tosolenoid control valve 104 or the like via conductive path 86 to directfluid under pressure through fluid path 94 from pump 92 to cylinders 112to retract by the appropriate amount. This can be initiated when asignal received from transducer 82 has detected cylinders 112 havepositioned compactor 38 at position H1 and transducer 96 is sending asignal indicating that auger motor pressure is at the predeterminedlevel for compacting after a compacting cycle. Due to the presence ofnew void area 72, the auger motor pressure will be lower during rotationof augers 54, and again, the rotation of auger 54 will be reversed.

As the cotton fills new void 72, the auger motor pressure will build andwhen it reaches the predetermined or set pressure value, rotation ofaugers 54 will be stopped and cylinders 112 will be simultaneouslyextended by the amount Y, such that compactor 38 will again be moveddownwardly to a compacting position a distance H2+A−Y above floor 20 tocompact and integrate the cotton beneath compactor 38 into the partialcotton module segment 70, as shown in FIG. 9. Again, this can be donemanually or automatically. After the compacting stroke, cylinders 112are then retracted by the amount Y completing the compacting cycle andthereby lowering the auger motor pressure and leaving the remainingportion of void area 72 above module 70 to be filled with the incomingcotton. Augers 54 will now again be rotated in the direction reverse ofthe previous direction.

This sequence of steps, namely, augering the cotton in area 72 towardone end, compacting when auger motor pressure reaches a predeterminedlevel, and augering in a reverse direction, is repeated, the height ofmodule segment 70 gradually building and the length of the compactingstrokes gradually decreasing.

Module building by cylinders 112 from the second position is completedwhen the auger motor pressure stays above the predetermined value aftercylinders 112 perform a compacting cycle, or when one or more of theother conditions discussed above are met, which signals that modulesegment 70 has reached a desired degree of compaction and apredetermined height beneath compactor 38 of about the distance H2+Aabove floor 20, as shown in FIG. 10.

Referring now to FIG. 11, cylinders 112 can then be manually orautomatically activated to retract by an amount B in the above describedmanner from the second position to move compactor 38 up to a thirdindexing position, which is the amount H2+A+B above floor 20, therebyproviding a new void area 72 above module segment 70 to fill withincoming cotton from conveyor structure 18. Again, cylinders 112 canalternatively be activated to retract to the third position after a setamount of time, a predetermined number of strokes, by a combination offactors, or after visual inspection. As a result of retracting cylinders112 to position compactor 38 at the third position, the auger motorpressure lowers. Augers 54 will also reverse direction from the previousdirection they were turning before indexing. The incoming cotton iscontinuously distributed into the cotton module being built undercompactor 38, and the compaction stroke of cylinders 112 is againactivated by the auger motor pressure reaching the predetermined or setpressure value. Again, when this occurs, augers 54 can continue or stoprotating and the cylinders 112 will simultaneously extend lowering thecompactor 38 for compacting the cotton under it.

Cylinders 112 then retract to complete the compacting cycle therebylowering the auger motor pressure and leaving a void area 72 for cottonto fill, and augers 54 reverse direction from the previous direction. Ascotton is added to the module, the auger motor pressure builds again andanother compacting cycle by cylinders 112 is performed. These steps arerepeated until the auger motor pressure stays above the predetermined orset pressure value after a compacting cycle.

Module building in the third position is completed when the auger motorpressure stays above the predetermined or set value after cylinders 112perform a compacting cycle or one or more of the other conditions aremet, indicating that the module building at the third position iscomplete, or after visual inspection. To signal the operator that themodule is nearing completion, an automatic warning system can again beprovided including a module status signal output device 108 connected toECU 88 and operable to signal the operator to enable the operator tomake determinations such as whether a current pass over the cotton fieldshould or can be completed or a new pass made before the module isunloaded.

When the operator comes out of the field or otherwise is finished withmodule 70, a module build switch 110 can be switched off and cylinders112 retracted completely, to position compactor 38 in the retracted orinitial position, as shown in FIG. 12, such that a clearance space 74exists above module segment 70 which is now a completed module. Sidewall 24 and/or 26 can then be released using mechanism 120 to facilitateremoval of module 70 from chamber 34 in the above described manner.

Here, it should be understood that the modules 70 built using drivers 42each including single cylinders 112, will be compacted to about the sameaverage density as modules 70 built using the double cylinders,discussed previously. It should also be understood that, although bothmodules are illustrated as being built using compactor 38 in threeindexing positions, a greater or a smaller number of indexing positionscould likewise be used within the scope of the invention.

It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps, andarrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated toexplain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made bythose skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within theprinciples and scope of the invention. The foregoing descriptionillustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however,concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in otherembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the inventionbroadly as well as in the specific form shown.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile cotton harvester having a cotton modulebuilding capability, comprising: at least one harvesting unit forremoving cotton from cotton plants as the harvester moves across acotton field; a cotton receiver structure including a first surfacehaving a predetermined extent and additional surfaces which with thefirst surface define and substantially enclose an interior space forreceiving the cotton removed from the cotton plants; structure forconveying the removed cotton from the at least one harvesting unit intothe interior space; and apparatus for distributing and compacting thecotton within the interior space, including a compacting element locatedin the interior space, the compacting element supporting at least onemember operable for distributing cotton in contact therewith at leastgenerally evenly relative to the first surface, and at least one driverconnected to the compacting element and operable for moving thecompacting element to positions spaced from the first surface where theat least one member can be operated to distribute the cotton at leastgenerally evenly relative to the first surface, and the at least onedriver being operable for forceably moving the compacting element andthe at least one member along a predetermined path of movement from thepositions, respectively, toward the first surface and against cottondistributed between the compacting element and the first surface forsimultaneously and substantially evenly compacting the cotton againstthe first surface to form a cotton module, wherein the at least onedriver comprises a plurality of fluid cylinders positioned at spacedlocations around the compacting element, respectively.
 2. The mobilecotton harvester of claim 1, wherein the fluid cylinders are locatedexternally of the cotton receiver structure and are connected to thecompacting element by arms which extend through slots through theadditional surfaces, respectively.
 3. The mobile cotton harvester ofclaim 1, wherein the first surface is a floor and the additionalsurfaces extend upwardly therefrom.
 4. The mobile cotton harvester ofclaim 1, wherein the driver comprises an indexing fluid cylinder havinga rod element extendible and retractable for moving the compactingelement between the positions, and a compacting cylinder mounted to therod element and extendible for forceably driving the compacting elementand the at least one member toward the first surface for compacting thecotton thereagainst.
 5. The mobile cotton harvester of claim 1, whereinthe driver comprises a single fluid cylinder having a rod elementextendible and retractable for moving the compacting element between thedifferent positions and extendible when in any of the positions forforceably driving the compacting element and the at least one membertoward the first surface for compacting the cotton thereagainst.
 6. Themobile cotton harvester of claim 1, wherein the predetermined path ofmovement is at least generally linear.
 7. The mobile cotton harvester ofclaim 1, wherein the predetermined path of movement is at leastgenerally perpendicular to the first surface.
 8. A combined mobilecotton harvester and module builder, comprising: at least one harvestingunit for removing cotton from cotton plants as the harvester is movedacross a cotton field; structure forming a compacting chamber forreceiving and compacting the removed cotton therein, the structureincluding a floor having a predetermined extent in two perpendicularhorizontal directions, and a plurality of walls extending upwardly fromthe floor therearound, defining a chamber interior; conveyor structurefor conveying the removed cotton from the at least one harvesting unitto the chamber interior; and a cotton distributor and compactorincluding a frame disposed in the chamber interior above the floor, theframe carrying members for rotation thereon rotatable in a firstrotational direction for moving cotton received in the chamber in afirst direction generally parallel to the floor and in a secondrotational direction for moving the cotton in an opposite directiongenerally parallel to the floor for distributing the cotton generallyevenly between the frame and the floor, and at least one driverconnected to the frame and including at least one element displaceablefor moving the frame upwardly and downwardly in the chamber interiorbetween at least two positions spaced different distances above thefloor for bringing the at least one member into contact with cottonsupported on the floor for distributing the cotton at least generallyevenly thereover, the at least one driver including an elementdisplaceable to drive the frame and the at least one member downwardlyagainst the cotton supported on the floor under a sufficient force tocompact the cotton evenly over substantially the entire extent of thefloor to form a compacted cotton module which will be freestanding andhave a horizontal extent about equal to the extent of the floor whenremoved from the chamber.
 9. The mobile combined cotton harvester andmodule builder of claim 8, wherein the at least one driver comprises atleast one fluid cylinder.
 10. The mobile combined cotton harvester andmodule builder of claim 9, wherein the at least one driver comprises afirst fluid cylinder for moving the frame between the positions and asecond fluid cylinder for compacting the cotton.
 11. The mobile combinedcotton harvester and module builder of claim 10, wherein the first andsecond fluid cylinders are connected end-to-end, one to the other. 12.The mobile combined cotton harvester and module builder of claim 8,wherein the at least one driver is located externally to the chamber andis connected to the frame by arms which extend through upwardlyextending slots through the walls.
 13. The mobile combined cottonharvester of claim 8, wherein the structure forming the compactingchamber includes a wall or end which opens to allow removing the cottonmodule segment from the chamber.
 14. The mobile combined cottonharvester of claim 8, wherein the driver comprises a single fluidcylinder.
 15. The mobile combined cotton harvester of claim 8, whereinthe frame is movable upwardly and downwardly in the chamber interioralong a predetermined path of movement that is at least generallylinear.
 16. The mobile combined cotton harvester of claim 15, whereinthe predetermined path of movement is at least generally perpendicularto the floor.
 17. A combined mobile cotton harvester and cotton modulebuilder, comprising: at least one harvesting unit for removing cottonfrom cotton plants as the harvester moves across a cotton field;compactor chamber structure for receiving the cotton removed from thecotton plants, the compactor chamber structure including a floor havinga predetermined horizontal extent and side walls and ends extendingupwardly from the floor defining and substantially enclosing an interiorspace; structure for conveying the removed cotton from the at least oneharvesting unit into the interior space; and apparatus for distributingand compacting the cotton conveyed into the interior space, including aframe located in the interior space and oriented in a predeterminedorientation generally parallel to the floor, the frame having ahorizontal extent only marginally smaller than the horizontal extent ofthe floor and carrying at least one member which is operably movablewhen in contact with cotton beneath the frame for distributing thecotton substantially evenly over the floor and for integrating cottonconveyed into the interior space above the frame into the cotton beneaththe frame, and at least one driver connected to the frame and operablefor moving the frame while in the predetermined orientation upwardly anddownwardly relative to the floor for positioning the at least one memberin contact with the cotton beneath the frame, and the at least onedriver being operable for forceably driving the frame while in thepredetermined orientation downwardly against the cotton therebeneath tocompact the cotton evenly over substantially the entire extent of thefloor sufficiently to form the cotton into a unitary compacted modulewhich will be freestanding and retain a horizontal extent approximatelyequal to the horizontal extent of the floor when removed from theinterior space.
 18. The combined mobile cotton harvester and cottonmodule builder of claim 17, wherein the at least one driver comprises aplurality of fluid cylinders positioned at spaced locations around theframe and connected to the frame by arms which extend through slotsthrough side walls of the compactor chamber structure.
 19. The combinedmobile cotton harvester and module builder of claim 17, wherein thedriver comprises a first fluid cylinder for moving the frame between thepositions and a second fluid cylinder for compacting the cotton.
 20. Thecombined mobile cotton harvester and module builder of claim 17, whereinthe driver comprises a single fluid cylinder.